MXL 770 Condenser Microphone for Podcasting, Singing, Home Studio Recording, Gaming & Streaming | XLR | Large Diaphragm | Cardiod (Black)

I have been using a Zoom H4N audio recorder for years and finally decided it was time for me to add a real mic to make the most of it. I'm not technically a professional recording engineer or musician but I do a lot of recording and audio editing. I sing in a local ensemble and produce very high quality YouTube videos for them as well. A large part of making professional YouTube videos is having good equipment. In addition, I sing and play the guitar and sometimes have need to record practice files for myself for memorization, record things for an audition or just record for fun! So far this mic has exceeded the expectations I had for it for the price!This is a really great mic that comes with a nice little accessories bundle including the shock mount, a nice hard case for both and some great resources and manuals to learn how to use it and get the most out of it. I found those to be very helpful and easy to read!At the end of the day though, the sound quality is really, really good, especially for what you pay! I'm really glad I took a chance on this. It will make you sound great if you're well prepared but don't think it's going to do you any studio magic favors. If you don't know your music or sing/play flat, that's exactly what this will record, haha! No, it does not come with software to edit what you record. I didn't expect it to but some people seem to be wondering about that.Here's how I use it and what I bought to go with it:- Audio 2000 3ft mic cable from H&F technologies- Samson MK 10 mic boom stand- Zoom H4N audio recorder (which I already had)If you're using a Zoom H4N here's what you need to do to connect it:- Plug your mic cable into input 1 and press input 1 (both 1 and 2 will light up but that's ok)- Provide phantom power to the mic by entering the menu options, scrolling to and selecting "Input" and then scrolling to and selecting "Phantom Power". This mic takes 48 so select that when asked if you want 24 or 48.- Enable both left and right channels (you have to do this if you want to hear what you record in both the left and right ears of a pair of headphones) by going back to the menu options and selecting "Input" and scroll to and select "Mono Mix" and turn it on.Ready to record and enjoy! I just record to an SD card on my Zoom H4N and pop that into my PC. I do the actual editing using Adobe Audition software which I like a lot.I hope this helps someone else who is looking for a solid mic to get good vocal, guitar, piano or ukulele (those are just the instruments I play) recordings on a budget or someone who is trying to connect a condenser mic to a Zoom H4N recorder! For the record I did NOT get this mic for free or at a discount. I paid full price for it.

I'll keep this review simple for my fellow musician/singers out there. Do not buy anything just because it has a trendy name or costs a lot - that doesn't always mean it's worth the money. I read the other reviews & thought since I can't afford a mic that cost 2,000 dollars but I still want a really good quality mic for what little money I do have to invest on gear, maybe I should give the MXL 770 mic a try. I bought 2 - one for recording instruments & one for vocals, if your p.c. or mac and/or interface needs fantom powered mics these have that. Like a good pair of shoes or a Porsche sports car it takes a while to gently break them in but once you do they fit like a glove or perform like an atomic clock - same thing goes for these mics. Be gentle, don't abuse them - in about a few sessions of practice you'll notice how freaking incredibly awesome they record. They're a lot like really good quality studio monitors, give them a few days to warm up & once they do you'll be like holy crap this is some great gear. After using these mics for a home studio recording I can honestly & personally tell you they are dang near perfect for what you need & for the price you'll regret buying anything else - trust these reviews like I did, these are outstanding microphones. They come in a great heavy duty protective case with handle, a shock guard that keeps the mic stable (plus looks cool as hell) the mics are heavy solid & look impressive, they look like mics that no one can afford, & they pick up the exact frequency range you need for them to with zero hiss or humming. Note they are not dynamic mics for live gigs, these are for recording only & in my opinion I got double my moneys worth.

This is one of the most versatile mics I own. It's a given that it works well in a home studio as well as having a very good price-to-performance ratio, Read some of the other reviews for that.For me this is perfect for a drum kit overhead because the frequency range picks up toms, snare drum and cymbals with a great deal of clarity. It will also pick up the bass drum as an overhead, which makes it ideal for acoustic jazz or other acoustic genres. For louder music this overhead and a kick drum mic may be all you need.It also works well close micing smaller amps like my Roland KC-110 3-Channel 30-Watt Stereo Mixing Keyboard Amplifier, which has incredible tone, but does not project in larger and louder ensembles.In the case of the instrument micing I mentioned this works practically out of the box. The shock mount is steady and attenuates vibrations and ambient noise, and all you really need to do is plug it into any mixer that can provide phantom power.For vocals, especially when the singer has a sultry voice (think Julie London), this mic also excels. Actually, it matters not what the vocal range is, this mic will do an excellent job, but truly excels in the lower ranges. For vocal work I recommend running this mic through a PreSonus Tubepre Single-Channel Vacuum Tube Mic Pre, which will warm it up a little more and give you a lot more control over gain. It will also provide phantom power if your PA does not provide it.Read over the other reviews, which provide more specific and in-depth information about this mic. Like most of the others who own this mic I am very pleased with it and would be hard pressed to find a better one at three times the price.